May27a by Lionelle Hamanaka

The Jazz Culture Feature

The George Gee Orchestra's release party for its new cd, "Swing Makes You Happy"

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The George Gee Orchestra CD Release Party

by L. Hamanaka Caught the George Gee Orchestra on Tuesday, May 20, one of the most popular swing dance bands in the country, at Swing 46, where everybody gets in the act. Swing 46 is the unofficial center for swing dance and swing bands in New York City, and the George Gee Orchestra is the flagship band. This ‘home base’ feeling was underlined by a dancer named Sue, who brought 20 cupcakes to the club to celebrate her birthday in between dance numbers. The following of the George Gee Orchestra is evenly divided between hip 20-somethings, to people up to the age of their grandparents, 60 + up; and also a growing set of international fans. Many swing dancers take up the cool or intricate steps to get their heart rate up, combining fun with exercise. That night the band celebrated the band’s new cd, about which Mr. Gee said, “The title is ‘Swing Makes You Happy’ {available at the band’s website) which is self explanatory.” The personnel was George Gee, conductor, Marcus MacLaurine, bass, Willard Dyson, drums, Steve Einerson, piano, Michael Hashim, tenor saxophone, Ed Pazant, alto saxophone, Andy Gravish and Freddie Hendrix, trumpets, Dave Gibson, trombone, and vocalists Hillary Gardner and John Dokes. The band played “Swing Makes You Happy,” a powerful and catchy tune, in medium swing tempo, with trumpeter Frank Gravish playing angular solo, with the pianist Steve Einerson punctuating the beat, moving the song ahead, and the band punched background figures. Trombonist Dave Gibson soloed, starting on long tones and cascading down. Mr. Hashim bellowed out his appeal on tenor saxophone. Mr Pazant created a circular solo based on triplets, and the band swayed as dancers feet beat the floor. 2

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“I Know,” a charming original swing tune by Dave Gibson, the main arranger for the band, followed. This song featured pianist Steve Einerson, who soloed and was followed by the horn sections executing punches and shakes. This weekend was extra special because of the Frankie Manning 100 celebration. Mr. Manning, an innovator of Savoy Ballroom days, would have been 100. He died in 2009. “He is one of the legendary original Savoy dancers. He is credited with inventing the aerial throw, where the male dancer threw the woman in the air. Lindy hoppers are dedicating the whole weekend in celebration of his centennial. About 2500-3,000 dancers from all over the world are descending on New York City. Some of them will stop by here tonight,” said Mr. Gee. A group of five dancers seated on the side had come from Japan. One was a dance producer, who said that swing was popular in three communities in Tokyo (there are 12 million people in Tokyo), and “I’m running two swing dance monthly events ‘Swing Jack,’ for which they sometimes have a live band, and a DJ party called “Chocolate Shake,” which features swing band classics. Singers Hillary Gardner and John Doke brightened the evening as well as the cd. Hillary Gardner sang a rarely performed In these Pages standard, “No Moon at All,” about The George Gee 120=quarter note, and “Give Me Orchestra's cd party 1‐4 the Simple Life, “ a little faster, at May Listings 5‐6 about 138-quarter note. An in tune John Watson Ad and pretty singer who sings with a Kuni Mikami Ad straight tone, Mr. Gee credits Ms. Marilyn report Gardner with bringing fine by Connie MacNamee 13‐15 standards such as “No Moon at All” Editorial 16 and Pumpkin,” to his attention The Jazz Culture, V.III:20

(they are both on the latest cd). Mr. Dokes is a warm baritone/tenor who sings ballads and blues equally well and is a good swing dancer. To the delight of the dancers, who swept across the dance floor like a tidal wave, the band also played classics like“Tuxedo Junction” (where the pianist comped well—the arrangement was by Erskine Hawkins, and was played at about 120=quarter note) and “Airmail Special” (at about 175=quarter note), which featured a wailing solo by Michael Hashim. Mr. Gee, who was friends with Mr. Manning, said, “We were very fortunate to have Frankie Manning as a true supporter of the band and my aspirations as a bandleader.” The George Gee Orchestra performed at the Edison Ballroom over the Memorial Day weekend, which has greater floor capacity than Swing 46 with George Gee looking svelt in a tuxedo. The main producer was Alan Sugarman. Groups such as the dancers New York Syncopators took part. The 21st century? Here’s what Michael Hashim had to say about it: “George and the band do what they always did: get inside a tradition—adding our personalities and the flavor of our times. Just based on age alone, yes, it’s [the band] attracting a new audience. There have always been different factions to the swing dance band trends, and every city has their favorites, but in New York, and you are a swing dancer, you can’t bypass the George Gee Orchestra, found weekly at Swing 46 on 46th Street in the theatre district. See: ”Swing Makes You Happy.”

cont. p. 8

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The Jazz Culture Newsletter Jazz Tours in NYC are available; also music teachers in various countries for students & jazz lovers. email: info@thejazzculture.com. Ads are available in The Jazz Culture Newsletter. The Jazz Culture Newsletter has been read in 76 countries. Brian McMillen is a contributing Photographer. Connie MacNamee and Arnold J. Smith are contributing writers." Countries: US, UK, Albania, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Bangladesh, Belize, Brazil, Burma, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Chile, Colombia, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Egypt, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Holland, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Latvia, Lebanon, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Romania, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Seychelles, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Vietnam

May Listings Robert Anderson‐ Every Saturday, University of the Streets 10:30 Clarence Banks‐ Swing 46 most Thursdays with Felix and the Cats, 346 W. 46 St. Ray Blue: Greenwich House in Greenwich Village. May 9‐ Mothers Day the Bean Runner Cafe May 8 private event in Connecticut;l Jazz Foundation in Bushwick Richard Clements‐ Pianist, 11th Street Bar most Mondays, 8 Kenney Gates, pianist. Philadelphia, Tues., Sun. some Sats.‐ High Note Cafe on Tasker & 13th, 5‐9 p.m.

Concert: May 31 , Sat. 8 p.m.

Bertha Hope ‐ Minton's on 206 W. 118 Street, every weekend George Gee Orchestra at Swing 46, every Tues, most Fridays 9:30 Loston Harris: Bemelmans Bar at The Carlyle; Tues ‐ Thur 9:30pm ‐ 12:30am, Fri‐Sat 9:30pm‐1:00am Bemelmans Bar Residency 12th year at The Carlyle, 35 East 76th

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St., New York, NY 10021 (76th St. & Madison Ave.) 212‐744‐1600 Kim Clarke: May 12 at For My Sweet, Brooklyn Mike Longo: Tuesdays Gillespie Auditorium in the NYC Baha'i Center at 53 East 11th Street 8:00 and 9:30 Joe Magnarelli/Akiko Tsuruga at Memorial Hall, Medford Lakes, NJ

John Mosca & Michael Weiss, Vanguard Orchestra every Monday at the Village Vanguard 8 p.m. David Pearl‐ Mondays at the Thalia, 95 St. bet. B'way & West End 8 p.m.; May 29‐6‐9 p.m. May 30, 9:30‐midnight, David Pearl Trio, Sophie's 318 West 53rd Street, Valery Pomoronov‐ Zinc Bar on May 7, 9:30 p.m. Bill Saxton: Every Friday and Saturday Bill’s Place 133 Street Murray Wall, bassist, 11th Street Bar most Mondays, 8 p.m. Leroy Williams, drums: Minton's Sun & Tues 2‐6 W. 118 St. ENGLAND: John Watson Trio at the Palm Court, Langham Hotel, London, 1c Portland, Regent St. 207‐636‐1000 Fri‐Sat George Gee‐May 23, Frankie Manning's 100th, Edison Ballroom,

Happy Birthday May Babies Jack Walrath, Bob Albanese, Mark Morganelli, David Coss, Nabuko Jazz, Rhonda Hamilton, Lafayette Harris, Ellen Martin, Rodney Kendricks Thank You for Bringing Beauty & Love to the World LEEE JOHN LIVE AT HIDEAWAY MAY 2014 featuring John Watson on piano/vocal/keyboards!

IMAGINATION LIVE AT EPIC DALSTON - 3RD MAY 2014 Featuring John Watson on keyboards/vocal John will be performing with Leee John & Imagination at Epic in Dalston on Saturday 3rd May. Indalston is proud to present

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Imagination Live for first time in the Dalston area... supporting djs on the night include Sancho panza head honchos Matt Brown & Jimmy K Tel, Mr Shiver, Sophie Lloyd and Fabulous Franc. This is a presale Ticketed event only - There will be no tickets bought on the door and no admission after 11pm. Doors open at 7pm and the band perform at 9.30pm - tickets £17.50. To purchase your E-Ticket visit: https://www.rsn-tickets. com/events/1442/indalston-pres-imagination-feat-leee-john-live LIVE VIDEO OF LEEE JOHN & HIS JAZZ QUARTET featuring John Watson on piano Enjoy the video Leee John - Lady Sings The Blues/Strange Fruit filmed at John's recent show with Leee John & His Jazz Quartet at the award-winning jazz club Hideaway in Streatham or, for more videos ofJohn, visit his YouTube channel at: http://www.youtube.com/johnpianoman

KUNI MIKAMI, Pianist is also an acclaimed, talented Videographer Special Introductory Sale: Five Minute Edited (with music) Video Resume for Performers $300 Contact Kuni @: 123mime@gmail.com

Artist must provide: • Good quality HD video on computer file • Good recorded audio sound • A photo of yourself • Text you want to see on the video

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cont. from p. 4

Steve Einerson, above, and the dancers stomping the floor at Swing 46. below

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Singers John Dokes, left, and Hillary Gardner, right, and some sizzling steps below take over the dance floor

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The swing crowd is international. Three beautiful visitors from Japan, and one oftheir escorts, below, a producer who runs swing evets in Tokyo, all in town to honor Frankie Manning, one ofthe original swing dancers from the great Savoy Ballroom and the Harlem Renaissance.

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There's Sue, the dancer with the cupcakes. And the cupcakes were good, too! Above, one ofthe Tokyo swing dancers jumps up and shows American dancers what's happening in Japan.

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A sexy mature couple take over the dance floor, and the George Gee Orchestra responds with their usual flare, below

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Marilyn, My Marilyn! by Connie MacNamee

Full disclosure--I have been a fan and friend of this singer for twenty years, ever since I heard her singing "Good Morning, Heartache," with Harry Whitaker on piano, at Arturo's Restaurant on Houston Street. I couldn't believe my eyes and ears--here was my tough, matter-of-fact waitress standing by the piano, singing her heart out.

Marilyn

Last Wednesday at Saul Rubin's welcoming establishment, ZEB'S, Marilyn had the weekly singer's spot with two top-flight musician friends--Noriko xxxx on bass and Victor Lewis on drums--along with the very venerable Saul himself on guitar. When it's Marilyn up there, everybody seems to want her to feel their love so she can relax and open up even more. From a showbusiness family, she is really fun to watch. Marilyn announced her band and thanked Saul for having this place where singers are free to express themselves. The first song was a swinging "Like Someone In Love." Saul had a snappy intro that didn't quite come off, so he said, "Do over." And as they did, she told the audience, "Yeah, we can do that too!" She sang in her full-throttle alto, bending and straightening her arm holding the mike, not needing it. Suddenly she messed up the lyrics,"I'm so excited I forgot the words!" The whole audience of singers was right with her, feeling so good we didn't care. "You Go To My Head" came in at the slowest pace I've ever heard. I was thrilled by her artistry. Marilyn has a solid, deep, womanly voice and a motorcycle-mama persona, and somehow it all comes together in this song. When she said, "You intoxicate The Jazz Culture, V.III:20

my soul with your eyes," it could be fully believed and understood. "Sometimes I'm Happy" was next, and she was part of the way through an exuberant performance when she saw Will Galison, #1 living harmonica player, come in with his girlfriend and sit in the front row. "Oh-oh, we have guest stars in the audience!" she said. "I'm going to sing a sad song, 'cause I just sang a happy song." Off they went into "My Foolish Heart," not really a sad song, but a lovely slow ballad, Marilyn really made us feel the lines, "His lips are much too close to mine" and "Let the fire start," and especially the ending, "This time it's love, my foolish heart." "Prisoner Of Love" was next, a sad song to be sure, with victim lyrics that Germaine Greer would never approve of. Marilyn showed Saul the music, which he was having some sort of problem with, and she remarked, "None of us can see any more." They decided on a tricky rhythm for the piece: Saul called it 12/8. Having Victor Lewis as the drummer, this unusual tempo sounded very fresh. The whole audience was bopping along. When she came to the bridge, the words, "I can't have another" seemed like a confession, intimate but loud, then the second time she sang the last chorus, she was feeling the song so personally that she had to break into it: "Upon my knees [nah] to him I'm creeping...." "My favorite harmonica player is here. In honor of that, I think we should do 'Overjoyed'." This is a Stevie Wonder song that she does. I haven't heard any other jazz singer do it, although I'm sure someone must. There was a lot of setting up, with microphones and speakers with dials, and Will had even brought a device of his own, a sort of small megaphone that he ended up not using, but all of this business took time, so Marilyn spoke to her audience thus: "This is worth waiting for, I promise." The first note from the harmonica sent chills through the room, and his solo raised the bar of the whole night, as if it needed it. As exquisite as this was, 14

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though, it didn't overshadow Marilyn's singing. "Let's do one more while you're here," Marilyn said, after the applause had died down, and she counted off "I Wish I Knew," one of her favorites, "He should know it!" Well, maybe he should, but he didn't. Saul moved over to the piano for the second chorus, perhaps to make the chords of the song more apparent, then Noriko played. Let me say here that Noriko is the clearest example of a musician telling a story in their solo. It really seems to start, "Once upon a time." No scratching heads over the bass solo here. By then Will had gotten the gist of it and played two choruses, straining so much that he was folding his body up and down like a jacknife. Very exciting stuff. "Don't Go To Strangers" was next. Marilyn announced herself, "62 and counting!" to wild applause. This song is always a big hit for her, and it was again tonight. It is a perfect fit with her plaintive but strong voice--the powerhouse, understanding, Mother Earth. Saul stayed on the piano. They decided on "All Or Nothing At All," as Marilyn drank down some water. "Let's do all the 'All's'!" All The Things You Are, etc., but they stayed with this one, and with the rhythm going from Latin to swing (on the bridge), it was in the very capable hands ofVictor Lewis. She sang it with a good-natured vulnerability to romance. Whatever she presents is always totally believable. The audience is fearlessly and sincerely invited into her world. The band kept a swing beat for Saul's solo. Back on guitar, he quoted "Jalousie," Noriko told us another story, then Victor played a killer solo, making Marilyn call out "I love you!" to him, then she wrapped up the song to overwhelming applause. Sure enough, they did another "All"--"That's All"--short and sweet. Marilyn called out her band again, saying to Victor, "And I'm never singing without you again!" Saul said, "This rhythm section--buttah!" SMOKING! The Jazz Culture, V.III:20

Editorial What Is A Good Jazz Singer? A jazz singer should be able to sing like a horn. That means they ought to listen to the history of great horn players as well as singers, and know some of those solos by heart. A jazz singer should know something about rhythm and be able to subdivide the beat, and choose what part of the beat they want to enter, exit or accent. A jazz singer should be able to sing the blues and make up blues verses. A jazz singer should consider themselves a musician, a rhythm instrument, learn a chordal instrument or at least a tuning instrument and study exactly the contributions of great jazz singers, including tone effects borrowed from instruments and what constituted their â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;styleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and what kind of style they themselves want. A jazz singer should know the chords and the scales that go with the chords and be able to apply them, and should be able to scat well. To scat means to have a good ear, but also to know the major, 3 minor, augmented or whole tone, blues scale, two diminished scales, intervals, arpeggios, chords, the changes to standards, blues and inversions of the former in your ear. It is only once you know these things that you can think of performing substitutions. These things have nothing to do with interpretation. Things like interpretation, intonation and tone quality apply to every genre. A jazz singer is different from someone who can sing standards well, as many Broadway singers or lounge singers or saloon singers do. A jazz singer is different from a gospel singer, who can do mordants, turns, slides up and down, and apply the blues and major scale. A jazz singer is different from a choral singer, a lieder singer, a singer of spirituals, a rock and roll singer, an opera singer, or a folk singer. And a jazz singer should know what those differences are. This has nothing to do with being a snob and wanting to look down on people. It has to do with fact and history and heritage. A singer can be as smart as anybody else, and why not apply intelligence, memory, awareness of and respect for tradition to a great art form? Please send comments to: info@thejazzculture.com.

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